BB murder case: ATC adds statement of another prosecution witness to record

Defence lawyers expected to cross examine statements during next hearing.

RAWALPINDI:

A trial court on Saturday recorded the statement of yet another prosecution witness in the murder case of the former premier Benazir Bhutto (BB).

Rawalpindi Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Special Judge Chaudhry Habibur Rahman took the statement of Dr Muhammad Qasim who, at the District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital, had prepared the medico-legal reports (MLR) of the ten victims of the gun-and-bomb attack that took place in Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007.

In his statement before the court, Qasim said he had received 10 maimed persons who were injured in the incident.

“All the injured were victims of the bomb blast,” he said, while adding that he had issued the MLRs for all these victims.

His statement was made a part of the court record.

On the other hand, then-causality medical officer (CMO) and prosecution witness Dr Muhammad Ashraf was unable to appear before the court, which adjourned the hearing till December
14.

Two of the defence lawyers, Malik Jawad Khalid and Rao Abdur Rahim, are expected to cross examine the prosecution witnesses during the next hearing.

So far, the court had recorded statements of only three prosecution witnesses.

Accused former police officers Saud Aziz and Khurram Shehzad had been granted bail, while former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf — the principle accused — was given an exemption. Five of the accused could not be presented before the court because of security concerns.

On 29 October, witness Dr Rida Khan of Holy Family Hospital (HFH) had appeared before a trial court and recorded her statement. She had provided medical treatment to some of the injured and conducted post-mortems as well.

“I treated the injured that were shifted to the hospital by the police and rescuers after the December 27, 2007 bomb attack in Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi,” she had stated.

Rao Abdur Rahim, counsel for accused Abdul Rashid, had cross-examined Khan’s statement for almost three-and-a-half-hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2013.